


love shot

by dahyunverse



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Pool & Billiards, an ot9 college/billiards au that nobody asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:15:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22100902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dahyunverse/pseuds/dahyunverse
Summary: Laughter filled the billiards hall and Momo wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the smoke that intoxicated her lungs. It was around eleven in the evening when the nine of them decided to gather and do what stressed-out college students normally do: get drunk and talk about their feelings.Feelings weren’t really Momo's thing, but looking at the eight people in front of her she knew that this warmth was all too familiar.Nonetheless, it felt like home.
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Park Jisoo | Jihyo, Hirai Momo/Myoui Mina, Im Nayeon/Kim Dahyun, Im Nayeon/Son Chaeyoung, Kim Dahyun/Son Chaeyoung, Minatozaki Sana/Yoo Jeongyeon
Comments: 8
Kudos: 35





	1. Cue Ball (let’s get this started)

**Author's Note:**

> finally, my first multi-chapter!
> 
> this was initially a mimo au, but hey everybody loves ot9. please be good to this fic, since the plot means a lot to me. shoutout to mikey who encouraged me to continue this, and to yana who listened to my endless ramblings and gave me ideas whenever i ran out.
> 
> enjoy reading!

Consider your days as normal enough because what Hirai Momo goes through every single day isn’t something a normal person would assume normalcy. Well, apart from growing up with no biological family and doing things teenagers wouldn’t usually do when she was their age, the rest that happened to her isn’t exactly what you’d call normal.

It had been six years since she lived alone. Not exactly alone—she had met people along the way and found family in them, and even though her father would’ve told her to live in the moment Momo couldn’t help but ache and still grieve over the two innocent souls she loved so dearly.

But she did find a coping mechanism  _ and  _ at the same time, pay off her parents’ debt.

“Set! Pay up, Jae!” Momo yells as she precisely shoots the black-colored ball into the hole. Jae grunts as he fishes a roll of cash from his pocket and hands it over to Momo. She’s done this for years now, yet she never gets tired of it. Well, that or she  _ needs to. _ Although losing once wouldn’t hurt Momo’s ego, one thing’s for sure is that; she can’t wait until that fateful day would come.

“Before you start another game, someone would like to talk to you, Motang,” Sana says as she secures the fifteen balls using a triangle. “I think they have a favor to ask of you.”

“Got that. You play for me first,” Momo tells her and kisses her cheek. She heads over to her office, formerly Jinyoung’s office, but he moved out a few years ago. Giving Momo full ownership of the billiards hall— the ballroom as she would call it.

She spots a petite figure sitting on one of the chairs provided for visitors while sipping a glass of their complimentary wine. Momo adjusts herself and puts out the cigarette she was smoking a while ago to make herself somewhat presentable. Not that she already is.

She opens the door and greets her. “Ah! Good day to you, what brings you here?” The woman was just about her age, pretty, paled-skin, wearing a coat, and all, and she seems… anxious(?) and definitely terrified for her life.

“I came here apparently because this is where people resort to when they’ve lost hope,” the woman sips her wine before introducing herself. “I’m Joohyun by the way.”

“Well, Joohyun, you came to the right place! Now tell me what happened, I’m all ears,” and Joohyun does tell Momo. She tells her how a guy from the university she’s going to, has been stalking her and her girlfriend, Seulgi. Whenever they’re in their dorms, they can feel someone watching them. Even though the two have already caught the man red-handed, he still continues on as if nothing happened. “He told us that if we told anybody, he’ll kill us in our sleep.”

“The audacity of this man,” Momo scoffs and grabs a glass, pouring herself some vodka. “How do you want me to handle this guy? Moderately, brutally, or fatally?”

Joohyun laughs at the three categories Momo has given her. “I don’t really know. Just scare him off or something. It’s difficult to sleep without the fear of him threatening us or him possibly breaking in our dorm.”

“Got it. Anything else?” Joohyun shakes her head and asks how much she owes and Momo tells her to pay  _ after  _ the deed is done. “I can assure you that he will regret that he even bothered the two of you in the first place.”

\--

Favors like these are easy enough to deal with alone. With Momo giving them out for more than five years now, she can say that she pretty much experienced heists, murders (being the one who cleans after them of course), drug dealing, anything illegal  _ and  _ legal, you name it. She thought of getting a job to pay off her debt, but the amount was more than six place holders that it would take her about fifteen years to pay if she was going to work as a cashier for McDonald’s, or even longer that the killer would’ve already sent out a hitman to shoot her.

And of course, she stood by her father’s words:  _ live in the moment _ . So, she did, that’s why she’s up in the tree, waiting for her target.

After a few moments, her target arrived, and Momo didn’t hesitate to approach him. She didn’t know if he was armed or not, but one thing’s for sure Momo was. She would be lying if this never scared her—every favor she fulfilled scared her to death. All she needed to do was look up and remember the reason why she was doing this.

“What’s going on in there, huh?” The man startled, he held his hands up surrendering and knowing that he’d been caught. When he turned to face Momo, he sighed in relief. “Oh, I thought you were one of the guards or something.”

“Or something,” Momo smirked and she grabbed one of the man’s arms and twisted it, earning a loud grunt from him. “They already told you to fuck off didn’t they? Why didn’t you listen?”

“Why would I?”

“They asked you nicely,” Momo twisted on the arm a bit harder now. “If you followed, you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“Okay, okay! Just…” the man grunts and tries to wriggle away from the Japanese girl’s strong grip. “Wow, you’re strong. Please let me go and I promise to leave them alone.”

“Will you?” she then grabs his other arm and twists it the same way she did with the other. He yelped and just nodded in response, unable to form words. Momo slowly lets him go, but not without grabbing him by the collar and points her knife near his throat. “If I ever find out that you’re near them within a two-meter radius, I will hunt you down and devour you.”

She finally lets him go and runs off.  _ Another job well done.  _

Momo returns back to the ballroom and sees her friends playing pool. She smiles at them and pours herself some vodka.

“Done already?” Jihyo asks while potting the white ball by mistake. “Dammit.”

Momo takes a sip from her glass and nods. “Men aren’t so high and mighty when you threaten them physically.”

“You got that right.” Jihyo chalks her cue tip, while Sana places the white ball to her desired spot, not without asking Dahyun where to place it first though. “Oh, you missed it by the way.”

“What?”

“There’s this girl who came into the ballroom and I’m telling you, Mo, she’s so  _ precise,  _ beat Dahyun, Sana, hell even me!” Momo snorts and shakes her head. “Maybe this girl is just pretty so you all let her win. Bet.”

Jihyo sighs in defeat. “Tell her, Dubu.”

“Well… she is pretty,” Jihyo glares at her and Dahyun laughs. “No. but seriously, Momo, she’s good.”

Momo sits beside Dahyun and puts an arm around her. “Tell you what, if this girl shows up tomorrow, tell her the table’s on the house.”

“What’s the catch?” Dahyun’s just too innocently cute to punch in the face. Of course, none of them would’ve really done that. Momo ruffles the younger girl’s hair and smirks. “She has to beat me.”

\--

As usual, the ballroom was packed with familiar people from the university near them. Quite ironic because at the entrance a NO MINORS ALLOWED was put up for everyone to see. Before Jinyoung was strict about it but he then realized that the reason why the place was so packed; minors. 

They were within the university’s vicinity. Students went to the place to blow off steam by playing, smoking, or drinking, Hell, it even became a place where people with different desires go to meet the infamous Hirai Momo and her gang. 

The moment she started giving out favors, word got around, and she  _ was  _ a student of that university as well. Taking up a business major so that she could run the ballroom more effectively. Same goes with the three other girls, going to college while running the place was deemed difficult, but they managed.

After all, the place is all they have besides each other.

“I’m getting tired of waiting, Dahyunnie,” Momo huffs as she takes a long drag from her cigarette before getting her head back in the game after her opponent scratches the white ball. “Where is she?”

“Your patience is getting incredibly thin nowadays, Mo,” Dahyun teases. “The angels above will start singing once she enters the place.”

Momo snorts and shakes her head. “You make her sound like some prodigy.

“Well…” Dahyun trails off as she turns her head to the newcomers. “...And there she is.”

Momo hurriedly finishes the game and her opponent grunts and hands her the money. Pocketing them, she whipped her head to the entrance and she was met with someone who looks so… classy. Definitely not a regular who comes to the hall every day. If she was, Momo would’ve known her, or at least recognize her face.

“I don’t hear the angels singing, but I need a shit ton of napkins for your drool,” Momo doesn’t want to admit she’s pretty,  _ yet _ . She elbows Dahyun and walks up to her. “Hey you, let’s play.”

The girl was taken aback at the sudden challenge, but nonetheless she accepts. “Bet?”

“You go do that, uh, I’ll go get some fresh air,” Dahyun gets up and puts on her hoodie.

“You and your friends’ table is on the house for a week, if you beat me,” Momo stares the girl down waiting for her response. “What do you get if I lose?”

“Cash, of course,” Momo laughs as if the answer wasn’t obvious. She still has a debt to pay.

“Who are you again?”

“Momo. Hirai Momo.”

“Ah, the owner who’s also unbeatable. I’m Mina,” The girl eyes her from head to toe. “I didn’t know you would be a girl and  _ this  _ pretty.”

“Expect the unexpected then,” Momo hands her a cue stick, and chalks her own. “Enough talking. You break.”

Mina powders her hands and cue stick to reduce friction on the bridge of her hand creating a smooth flow. She hits the white ball harshly and breaks the triangle of balls, and shoots a solid.

She moves around the table and pots in another solid. Momo standing there, lighting another cigarette, waits  _ patiently  _ for her turn. By the time her cigarette was lit, Mina only had three balls left on the table.

“What the Hell?” Mina smirks and continues on.

Everything happened so fast and what Momo was witnessing right now was unbelievable—well, to her at least. No one she challenged or challenged her was able to shoot most of the balls with such accuracy that their opponent didn’t have the chance to play their turn. She thought for sure that this only happened in those silly pool video games.

It only dawned into Momo that this was  _ actually  _ happening when Mina finally made her way around the table once more, chalked her cue tip, and gently placed her stick on the bridge of her hand. “Expect the unexpected, I guess?” 

Momo opened her mouth to say something until she was interrupted by the sound of the white ball hitting the black one. Unfortunately, instead of aiming for the corner pocket, the ball rolled only hitting the rail. Momo chuckled earning and eye roll from her opponent. She chalked her cue tip with utmost care, took her sweet time as she looked Mina in the eye.

She eyed the placement of the striped balls on the table. Two, a brown and purple one, were near the corner pocket, aligned to make a combination shot. A green one was in the middle which can easily be shot on either hole of the middle pockets. The rest were near two sides of the railings which Momo eyed carefully. A trickshot kept replaying in her head and she can’t wait to try it out.

Making her way across the table, she placed her cue stick on the bridge of her hand and aimed for the green one first, since it was the closest one, easily pocketing it in. The white ball rolled back into place after Momo performed that backspin. Aiming for her next target, she angled a bit to the right and hit the cue ball lightly which made the brown-striped ball roll and eventually pocketing the purple one. Then after moving around the table, Momo easily pocketed the brown ball, then the yellow one after.

All that’s left are red and blue which were the trickiest ones, while the orange one was at the farthest corner, already placed near the pocket. Momo decided to pocket the orange one first, it rolled towards the pocket at ease. 

Now, it was time for the tricky part.

“You’re not gonna shoot that,” Mina speaks up, discouraging her. Momo only takes a drag from her cigarette, chalking her cue tip once more before hitting the cue ball carelessly yet with a strong force. It made the two remaining balls roll to two different pockets, now only left with one ball on the table. “You’ve got to be kidding me."

Momo shrugs as she shoots the last ball into the middle pocket. “No free table for you then.”

“It’s okay, I didn’t really come here to beat you,” Mina smiled as she set her cue stick on the wall. 

Momo was going to admit it now—she did look pretty.

\--

Dahyun wasn’t really a social butterfly. Well, it depended on her mood. Sometimes she just approaches her friends casually and asked about their day. Sometimes she just wanted to be alone. Most of the time, she was surrounded by people who were familiar with who she was, but never really got to know her.

She felt lonely. Nobody truly understood her, until Momo approached her one day and asked if she was willing to run a billiards hall with her because the previous owner left and Momo didn’t trust herself enough to manage it all alone. At first, it sounded absurd, considering their age and the fact that they were still in school, but despite that, she went with it. So far, it was her best decision yet.

Falling in love with the sport was easy. The first time she placed a cue stick on the bridge of her hand was awkward, nonetheless, she found it weirdly fitting. It was like this sport was made for her. Dahyun wasn’t a billiard prodigy just like Momo, but she had a passion for the sport too.

Other than billiards, she loved giving Momo a hand whenever she needed it. Sana and Jihyo too. The three girls took care of her like family and Dahyun feels warm whenever she thought about it. She loved being looked after. She loved affection. She loved the attention.

_ (“Just the four of us?” Momo paused, looking at the three girls in front of her. They’ve been through a lot and stuck by each other like glue. “Yeah… That sounds nice. The four of us.”) _

Dahyun smiled at the memory as she stepped out of the hall, sitting on the bench a few meters away from the main entrance.

Outside of the billiards hall, she also found solace. Or maybe it was just the droplets of rain touching her face gently and she hugged herself feeling warm all over.

The place surely helped shape her in a way, but it can be overwhelming inside sometimes. Too much smoke clouded her eyes, too much spilled liquor on the floor even on the tables, too much banter, too much laughter, too many people who looked right past her, never in the eye.

After the three girls’ appearances in Dahyun’s life, nobody else followed. For five years, it had been just the four of them. Although she was used to coming across hundreds of faces every day, there was no one else who stayed permanently on the seats she had left out for them. 

Maybe she wasn’t interesting enough.

The girl still had her insecurities despite reassurances from her three friends that they loved her dearly. She had so much love to give that it was overflowing, that’s why she’s been searching for people—or just someone who was willing to accept the love Dahyun gave.

“You come here often?” She was drowning with her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed that someone was already sitting beside her.

“Yeah. To think,” Dahyun answered her as she looked at the girl. She was wearing a hoodie as well, aware that it was raining but didn’t mind.

“Do tell?”

“My mum said I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”

The girl beside her snorted and held out her hand. “Nayeon.”

“Dahyun,” She took her hand, which was massive by the way, and shook it. “Sorry. I’m just not used to people actually wanting to talk to me.”

“I feel the same,” Nayeon removed her hand and scooted closer. “I’m all ears.”

And maybe, Dahyun should stop searching.

\--

Two blocks from the billiards hall, there were two girls who shared an apartment. Being the  _ lazy _ ones, they never had morning classes. They wouldn't be able to wake up at 6AM to prepare, and even if they did wake up at that time, they would still arrive late.

Sana was never a morning person. She always hated how she had to get up early, make herself breakfast and eventually burn them. She didn’t mind smelling burnt toast and eggs in the morning, but the hassle she has to go through in cleaning the kitchen made her exhausted and even more hungry.

She rubbed the sleep off her eyes and sat up resting her back against the headboard. Grabbing the packet of cigarettes on the nightstand, she was about to light the stick already pressed between her lips when the scent of pancakes enveloped the room.

“Jeong?”

“Morning,” The tall girl smiled, and handed Sana a plate of pancakes oozing with maple syrup and some fruit on the side. “Breakfast for you.”

But ever since Jeongyeon came, she didn’t bother getting up early to burn food and eat deliveries, she didn’t have to smoke hoping that the hunger would pass before going back to the billiards hall.

With Jeongyeon, Sana’s mornings became better. Everything else followed when she came.

The same goes for Jeongyeon, who always felt pressured by her family into things she never wanted. She was a dance major who wanted to inspire young people into taking the path of a dancer and help them convey their words into movement. With Sana, she never felt pressured into becoming someone she wasn’t.

They met at a university-wide event. Jeongyeon was managing a booth when Sana came to buy a shirt and some other things. Sana paid for the stuff she bought, but not without placing a piece of paper between the bills. Jeongyeon got the memo and texted her—the rest was history. They’ve been together for over a year now, and they never felt happier.

“You should really stop smoking,” Jeongyeon chewed on the pancake Sana fed her. 

“I’m trying,” Sana finished the rest of her meal and got up. “I need to go now, babe. Momo already texted me telling me I’m already late.”

Jeongyeon’s heart tugged at the mention of Sana’s best friend. They both kept things on the low. Not wanting to tell their friends yet because Jeongyeon’s friends weren’t really fond of Sana. Nayeon never liked Sana because of their rivalry back in the university, Mina and Tzuyu never mentioned anything, but Jeongyeon hoped they didn’t hate her too. 

“You always are,” Jeongyeon cleaned up and waited for Sana downstairs. “...I think my friends visited your hall yesterday.”

“Oh yeah, Mina did,” Sana recalled as she put on her jacket. “Let’s go?”

Jeongyeon nodded. But before she opened the door, she kissed her girlfriend full on the lips, and as they part, they face the world once again pretending they never knew each other.

In the mornings, time seemed to stop.

In the mornings, they never wore their masks.

In the mornings, they never pretended.

In the mornings, they felt so loved and cared for.

Mornings never felt so surreal. 

\--

After the game, Momo went straight to her office to grab a drink and maybe light another cigarette, but she promised Dahyun she’d only smoke two sticks per day. So, she settled for a glass of vodka.

She sat down and put the cash she won for the day on her table. Counting each bill carefully, she was able to obtain one-thousand dollars with the five games she played. Despite it being a large amount, it still wasn’t enough. She managed to pay half of the debt two years ago, and she only had a year left for the other half.

He was waiting, and he kept his word.

_ (“Just because you paid half doesn’t mean I’ll keep you off the hook,” His raspy voice echoed throughout the parking lot. “Time’s ticking, Hirai. Do you want me to get rid of those three girls too?”) _

There was a soft knock on the door, making her snap out of her thoughts. “Come in!”

It was Joohyun who made her way towards Momo with a smile. She wasn’t alone though, a girl was trailing behind her who Momo assumed was Seulgi.

“Hey, Joohyun! I’m glad you came back,” Momo stood up to get them some glasses and poured them a generous amount of wine. “How’d it go?”

“I should be the one asking you that,” Joohyun chuckled as she took a sip. “I went outside to look at around twelve, I think? And he wasn’t there.”

“It worked then.”

“I guess it did,” Joohyun smiled, and handed Momo five hundred. “This is my girlfriend, Seulgi by the way.”

“Nice to meet you,” The two shook hands. “Nice wine, too. I heard so much about you… Are you a business major?”

Momo nodded, which made Seulgi break into a smile. “That’s why your name is familiar! We’re in the same class.”

The three chatted for a while until the couple left Momo’s office. Leaving her with her own thoughts again, then a few minutes passed by, the three girls she loved came inside her office.  _ Their office.  _

“Lunchtime!” Sana’s voice boomed through the place and Momo covered her ears in response.

With a grunt, Dahyun placed two pizza boxes and a container filled with spicy rice cakes on the table. Jihyo then passed them a can of soda while Sana brought out their plates and chopsticks.

It was times like this where Momo felt incredibly thankful for them. She might not say it out loud, but without these girls she would’ve been dead in a ditch. Either that or the ballroom would be at the peak of bankruptcy. Sana was the first to know about the death of her parents and about the debt they left, then they told Jihyo immediately after. They stuck by her despite being busy with their lives. Dahyun was added to the group when Sana couldn’t stop gushing about how cute she was.

Jihyo spoke up after getting a slice of pizza. She told them that some of the customers complained about the walls of the hall were old, saying it needed to be repainted, but none of them really had the money to buy paint and other supplies. So they settled that they’ll fix it at the end of the month where they will count how much their business gained. Perhaps they needed an artist as well to make the place more inviting for the teenagers who went there.

“We could ask some students from the arts department,” Dahyun suggested with bread in her mouth. 

“That would cost us more,” Momo ruffled her hair earning a groan from the younger girl but she agreed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Their conversation was interrupted with a soft knocking on the door. Sana put down her chopsticks to get it. Opening the door revealed Mina and two of her friends. Sana’s breath hitched as she saw Jeongyeon, especially Nayeon. She reminded herself that she was wearing a mask.

“Hey, how can we help you?” Sana forced the words out of her mouth, luckily her voice didn’t waver.  _ The pretending begins.  _

“Is Momo in? I have a favor to ask,” Mina scratched the back of her neck. Nervous.

Sana blinked. “Oh, we’re were just having lunch. Come in.”

Mina opened her mouth to say something, but she decided against it. She walked in and so did her friends. The four billiards players closed the pizza boxes and containers, setting it aside because favors meant business. Automatically, Momo grabbed three glasses and filling it with wine, made sure their clients felt comfortable as they sat down.

Mina feared that they were going to crowd up the place. Fortunately, Momo’s office was spacious enough to fit at least fifteen people, so the three girls didn’t have trouble getting in. Momo cleared her throat after wiping her mouth with a napkin. “Good day, girls! What brings you here?”

Mina fiddled with the glass in hand. “I’m here to ask a favor…”

“Which is?”

There was a long silence before Mina spoke up once more, and even though Momo was already getting impatient, she had to bite off the remarks that were stuck in her throat and settled for ideas instead. “Drugs? Alcohol? Clean up for a murder? Free table?”

Mina chuckled at the last one. She sipped her wine before speaking up again. “Be my girlfriend?”

“What?” The four billiards players said in unison.

“ _Fake_ girlfriend,” Nayeon said, speaking up. “So will you do it or not?”

“Feisty,” Momo smirked earning an eye-roll from the girl. “I’ve never done this kind of favor before, but it’s going to cost you.”

“Oh please,” Nayeon stood up and walked up to her. “She has all the money in the world, but you never answered the question: will you do it or not?”

“One-thousand a day or I won’t do it,” Momo doesn’t really want to be anyone’s girlfriend, even a fake girlfriend for this matter. She didn’t do feelings, a reason why she never considered taking up theatre arts. She never trusted anyone except for her three best friends and they know that.

“Make that two-thousand, then it’s a deal,” Sana stood up with a raging fire in her eyes. Wanting to fight Nayeon already, she walked up to her. Nayeon pushed her a bit and Sana was ready to jump her when Mina suddenly spoke.

“Deal,” She stood up and walked up to Momo handing her the money. “Be my girlfriend?”

_ Live in the moment.  _ Momo took a deep breath.

“It’s a deal then.”


	2. Orange (the suffering never ends)

A few minutes after Momo and their three clients left, Sana and Jihyo decided to look after the hall for today seeing as Momo would most likely be dealing with her new _girlfriend._ Dahyun told them that she would take the night shift since the older two had to attend class.

Dahyun decided to step out of the hall again to take a breather. After all, she hadn't expected Mina to be friends with Nayeon.

"It's you again." Nayeon smiled as Dahyun took a seat on the bench. "Sorry if I didn't seem all too friendly with Sana back there."

Dahyun raised an eyebrow. "You know Sana?"

Nayeon didn't want to say anything; she didn't want to elaborate further. But with Dahyun, everything was just so easy. When they met on this same bench a few hours ago, Nayeon was merely a book that wanted to be opened – Dahyun did that – her fingers gently caressing the cover, opening her with utmost care.

Kim Dahyun was gentle.

She didn't want to talk about it, but she wanted someone to finally open up to. Nayeon never said a word about it to her friends – she knew that if she did, they might leave her just like Sana did.

 _("Give her a chance.")_ So she did.

"Yeah. She's in my class, and she's really popular, you know?" Nayeon sighed as she ran fingers through her hair. "We used to be close."

Nayeon closed her eyes and memories of her and Sana came flashing back. She remembered the day when the Japanese girl approached her; she was a book and she thought Sana was too. They created their own stories, inking the pages with words overflowing with love – a fairy tale that both of them dreamed of. Slowly, that happily ever after became a blur as the ink ran out and Sana decided to tear up her pages and leave.

Dahyun stayed silent and scooted closer, urging her to continue.

"When she left, I was a mess. But then I met Jeongyeon and Mina, and Tzuyu after a few months." Nayeon placed her head on the younger girl's shoulder. Closing her eyes and feeling the warmth that she radiated. "They're my sisters, but even so, I still feel so... alone."

Dahyun hummed in response and leaned onto Nayeon, thinking of something to say in response. But the older girl didn't seem to wait for a reply, not that Dahyun would understand, she simply rested her head on her shoulder and cleared her mind.

"Do you want to move elsewhere?" Dahyun asked. "I- uh it's too loud here, and I figured you wanted to rest?"

"Where to?" Instead of answering, Dahyun took her hand and went along the street and then inside of their university. Nayeon started laughing all of a sudden, and Dahyun followed, earning weird glances from the students nearby, but they didn't care. Dahyun led the older girl and went past them.

The university's field was usually packed with athletes running around for their training. But this time of the day, it was empty and wouldn't be filling up anytime soon.

Dahyun sat down and the older girl followed. Nayeon placed her head on Dahyun's shoulder as she wrapped her into a warm embrace, feeling the grass beneath them.

There was a reason why Sana left and Nayeon has yet to find the answers. There was still this empty page that's yearning to be inked inside of Nayeon and Dahyun wrote in them, creating gentle strokes on each letter she wrote.

Every letter, every word was too good to be true, but Nayeon dived into the story Dahyun was bound to write almost immediately.

That happily ever after didn't seem to be too farfetched.

\--

Momo never imagined herself entering a milktea shop with a girl holding her hand. Not to mention, she has never even tasted the peculiar drink before. Students go wild over the drink, craving it like it was some drug that Momo has yet to discover.

But really, she never treated herself into eating or drinking any sweets because it was too expensive for her budget. The alcohol on her shelf back in the office was expensive enough but that was part of their business, so for her, alcohol was already a treat. Other than that all that was running into her head was her debt.

"What would you like?" Mina asked her, eyes on the menu even though she already knew what she wanted.

Momo wanted to admit that she's never been inside these kinds of shops before, but her mouth moved before she could even think. "You."

Mina snorted. "Smooth. I could tell you're taking this favor seriously."

"Well that or I just don't know what to order," Momo scratched the back of her neck. "I always see people drinking these but I never got to taste even a single drop."

"Well, go for the classic winter melon tea, I guess?" Mina suggested and Momo went with it. Soon, they were sitting down on one of the tables by the window as they ate some fries.

On the first sip, Momo could say that the drink was pretty good but she never really got the hype about it. Well, at least she was getting something else in her system other than alcohol. "How is it?"

"It's okay," Momo took another sip. "Vodka is still better though."

Mina rolled her eyes, and Momo spoke again. "I have a question though."

"Shoot."

Momo made finger guns and pretended to shoot her; Mina played along and pretended she was shot. Momo let out a chuckle and shook her head. "Out of all the favors, you could ask me, why ask me to pretend to be your girlfriend?"

"I don't know," Mina shrugged taking a fry from the plate. "I wanted to test out some things and break the ice between our friends."

Momo raised an eyebrow, confused. She has to admit that the younger girl is indeed pretty, so why would she ask Momo when there are about a hundred people out there who are actually willing to become her girlfriend even if it's just a fake relationship? And what did she mean by _"break the ice"_? What about their friends? Isn't it just the first time they all met a few hours ago back in the office? Everything was confusing-- it was like when Momo got the text from Kai, like when her parents were killed because of some debt she never knew about. Wanting to push further, Momo opened her mouth to ask, but Mina shook her head and didn't explain further and simply said _you'll figure out soon._

She suddenly had a bad feeling about this fake relationship.

\--

Amidst everything, Tzuyu could say that she had a lot of time in her hands. She had passed most of her requirements and all she had to do was sit back and wait for her grades until the end of the quarter. She liked doing things weeks before the deadline. The moment her professors would give them an assignment, she works on it right away. It was easy, really; writing is one of her greatest escapes. The way her hand moves as she wrote different words – the pen and paper are her friends.

Other than that, she played pool as well. Holding the cue stick was just like holding the pen. Not exactly the same, but when she learned; she couldn't stop playing just like she couldn't stop writing. And introducing the sport to her friends wasn't such a bad idea. Mina stopped playing for years, but as she stepped inside the most famous billiards hall near their university; she beat almost everyone that challenged her even the best players in the house. Nayeon and Jeongyeon just came there for the drinks.

It was fascinating seeing her play, and come to think of it, she should've asked them to play with her instead of playing with a bunch of strangers. It wasn't just random strangers; she knew who Hirai Momo was – the owner and the one who taught her to play. She wouldn't say that she's a friend, but Momo wasn't a stranger either.

Entering the hall for the first time throughout the day, Tzuyu spotted the table she always used empty, immediately she went there and Jihyo followed her setting up the table. "Want any drinks from the bar?"

Tzuyu looked up at her, heart racing. "Uh- sure."

"What would you like?" Jihyo asked once more and handed her a cue stick.

"Surprise me," Tzuyu replied, taking the cue stick from her and chalking its tip as she walked away. The taller girl searched for familiar faces in the hall to play with and not even a minute, Jihyo returned with two drinks in hand.

"Here you go. Need anything else?"

Tzuyu sipped her drink and nodded. "Jihyo, right? Play with me?"

Jihyo beamed and grabbed another cue stick from the side. "I was going to ask you the same thing."

\--

To escape reality for a while was everything Chaeyoung wanted, so she took up a major in arts. Upon seeing paint that's splattered against the wall, forming a powerful image that made her feel a mountain of emotions – she knew it was love at first sight.

She had a lot in her mind that she wanted to turn into a masterpiece. Her thoughts were so loud that it was never silenced unless she picked up a brush or _something_ that can create a picture. Even if she just threw paint buckets everywhere on a blank canvas, her mind would stop for a while. Through art, the muffled voices in her head stopped.

_(Painting again?)_

Chaeyoung ignored the voice and put on her mask.

_(It's not going to get you anywhere.)_

She took out a can of spray paint, removed its cap, and let her hands do the work. Covering the wall with her unwanted thoughts, she moved her hand upward, then down, then curving a little. Chaeyoung drew little monsters, coloring them with different shades of blue, red, and black; sadness, anger, and insecurity.

_(The suffering never ends.)_

"Hey!"

Chaeyoung hurriedly grabbed her things and ran, dropping some of the caps behind but she didn't bother. She thought for sure nobody was going to catch her there at two o'clock in the morning, but here she was going into every street to run from the authorities, or whoever that was. She ran until she was far enough and made sure there were no more footsteps chasing after her and then allowed herself to rest after sitting down on a bench.

"Need a drink?"

\--

Momo couldn't sleep.

It was one of those nights where her mind was overflowing with thoughts, so instead of laying down on the bed until her thoughts eat her, she gets up, keys in her hand and exits the hall, sitting down on the bench outside.

Ever since Jinyoung took her in, she decided that it's best that she never returned to her home. The ballroom already is her home, but sometimes, she thought of going back there but she remembered the blood-stained carpet and the note that was left on their cold feet. She felt like crying whenever she thought of it.

Momo never knew his face. All of the transactions made were through his apprentice, Jin. Although he gave out his first name – Kai – she despised that name, cursed it every night. She never knew what her parents did to deserve that. They were always nice to the people around them, but then again, Momo's father was notoriously known for his business – whatever that business was. As for her mother, she was quite mysterious as well. All Momo knew was they work in the same company and nothing more.

Momo closed her eyes and enjoyed the remainder of the night until the tranquillity was broken by rushed footsteps and heaving breathing.

Opening her eyes, Momo was met with a woman wearing a black bucket hat and a mask. She seemed like she was running from a marathon as she plopped herself down on the bench to rest. She let the girl rest for a moment before asking.

"Need a drink?" The girl was confused and surprised when Momo spoke up. Probably because she was still startled from whoever was chasing her. Without even waiting for her response, Momo got up, taking a peak from the girl's bag and took out a can of spray paint.

"Hey! Give that--"

Momo shushed her and chuckled. "Running from the cops?"

She nodded, still feeling tense. "Let's get inside."

Once they were, Momo asked the girl to sit down by the sidebar as she searched for a glass and poured water into it. The unnamed girl's eyes were roaming around every corner of the hall. Her nose scrunched up a bit seeing as the place badly needed to be painted. With itching hands, she gripped the cans inside of her bag and caressed it.

"Here, drink." Momo handed her the glass, making her snap out of her thoughts. "Hirai Momo."

"Chaeyoung," she replied as she took the glass from her. "I know who you are and I've heard about this place. No offense but the decor doesn't really live up to my expectations, seeing as this place is so popular in the university."

"Yeah," Momo lit a cigarette. "I wanted to ask people from the arts department if they could liven this place up, but it's going to cost me a lot."

There were footsteps and whispers heard outside, then there was a knock on the door. _Ah shit, she forgot to turn off the lights outside._ "Anyone awake and saw a masked girl with a black bag running around?"

Momo closed the lights inside the hall and signaled for Chaeyoung to be quiet, asking her to hold her lit cigarette as well. She made her way to the door without bumping into any of the tables. She ruffled her hair to make it seem like she just woke up before opening the door.

"Hey there. I just woke up so I haven't." She yawned and scratched her head.

The officer bowed and apologized for the inconvenience. Momo shut the door once he left and turned the lights back on. "As I was saying, paint is expensive too. And I'm paying off a debt so I need to earn more money before giving this place the paint job it deserves."

Chaeyoung looked down on her hands and rubbed it against the glass, contemplating. She did love art, and she always wanted to paint a whole establishment. She gulped her water and spoke. "I could do it. I have too much paint and ideas anyway."

Momo's eyes lit up and took a puff from the cigarette Chaeyoung handed her. "Really? How much would it cost?"

"You give out favors, right?" Momo nodded. "Well, in return you fulfill a favor that I desire. Is that okay?"

"Are you sure? I can pay you, really."

"A hundred percent sure. Although I don't know the favor yet, so think of it as an IOU."

Momo got up in excitement and embraced the girl. "This is brilliant! When can you start so I can close the place up for a few days."

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow it is."

Chaeyoung cleared her throat, wanting to say something more. Momo sensed it right away, so she asked. "Is there anything else I could do for you?"

"Can I sleep here?" Chaeyoung said, her cheeks turning pink from embarrassment. "I might get caught on the way to my dorm. It's quite far."

Momo smirked and ruffled the shorter girl's hair. "Sure, but do you mind sleeping with someone else on the bed?"

Chaeyoung's face became as red as a tomato.

\--

Upon waking up, Chaeyoung found the other side of the bed empty. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, remembering the events that happened a few hours before she fell into a deep sleep. She hasn't slept well for the past month. All she did was toss and turn on her own bed with the voices too loud for her own liking.

But she just met this girl–Momo–and she slept so peacefully even if it was only for a few hours.

She gathered her things and went to the main hall. Seeing Momo wasn't there, she decided to start immediately before her thoughts started to get loud again. The billiards tables were all covered up in plastic, along with the balls and cue sticks, and there were stools set up for her. She made a mental note to thank Momo later when she comes back.

Chaeyoung then takes out the cans of spray paint in her bag-- red, blue, green and black-- she takes a long look at the colors on her feet and starts visualising the creatures she has to draw.

She takes the green paint and recalls the events where her jealousy began to take place. Greed; her enemy. Always wanted something that would benefit her. Always wanted _her_ all to herself. She thought she was doing what's best for her, but then she got too greedy and it all overpowered.

Dropping the green can, she then picked up the color blue. Sadness was an understatement when she left her. They thought they would last for a lifetime (it's cliche, she knows) but it all came crashing down when Chaeyoung got the best of herself. She locked herself in her dorm for days-- not speaking or interacting with a single soul.

Red was next and a jolt of emotions came right through her–anger. She was angry at herself for letting it all slip away. Years of love and hard work; blood, sweat, and tears she shed were all for her, but all of that vanished when she left. Leaving her there to suffer and to face the consequence of her emotions overpowering her. Chaeyoung was angry at herself and to an unknown deity who never heard her calls, who never guided her into not doing something so stupid and selfish.

The last one was black. She picked up the can with shaky hands, yet she pressed onto the nozzle harshly and let the color hug the wall. _Death._ The death of their relationship was still too hard to grasp. It disappeared into thin air despite everything she did to save it. She can't even save herself from doing incredibly impulsive things, so how can she save her too? It was all too painful, but the memories will remain in her heart.

"Hey, Chaeyoung. I didn't know you were awake and already started. We were just inside the office and- oh my god are you okay!?" Momo asked when the shorter girl turned around with tears in her eyes. Chaeyoung didn't even know she was already crying. It was the first time she felt so vulnerable when crafting.

First, it was her shitty sleeping schedule that got cured somehow and now feeling so weak when doing her art. _This hall is really something else._

"Oh, I didn't realize I was already crying," Chaeyoung wiped off the tears that were streaming down her face. "I can assure you this has never happened before. I'm sorry... I guess I just miss someone."

Momo immediately hugged her and comforted her. "It's okay. I'm sure they miss you too."

Chaeyoung highly doubts that, but she could hope. Momo spoke once more while wiping her tears. "Come with me and I'll introduce you to the gang."

Soon enough Chaeyoung was inside the office with three pairs of unfamiliar eyes staring at her. She wasn't sure if it was judgment or jealousy that was dripping from a certain purple-haired woman's eyes, but she sure was stunning– Momo's friends were really stunning.

"So this is Chaeyoung, I met her a few hours ago," Momo explained. "She'll be working on the artsy stuff and I just saw what she did and I could say that she's really good and passionate about her work."

Momo didn't dare to mention the fact that Chaeyoung was crying when she saw her. She was really thankful for that.

After the two girls introduced themselves warmly with a hug, all that was left was Dahyun who stared down at her ever since she entered the office. The atmosphere was getting uncomfortable when Dahyun didn't say a word to introduce herself, but then, Momo wished she never waited for her to speak.

"Dahyun," she approached Chaeyoung without changing her facial expression. "Don't get too comfortable or else you might regret it."

With that, Dahyun left but not before slamming the door on her way out.

**Author's Note:**

> how was it? your feedback is very much appreciated.
> 
> see you in the next update!
> 
> twitter: @hiraisyeji  
> cc: curiouscat.me/namohyuns


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